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Palarran · 31-07-2011, 18:33

I built a new gangway using a motorcycle ramp. It's really nice but I haven't finished the installation as I need to put a fitting on my stern to accept a pin. I've been thinking that instead, it would actually be much easier to mount the ramp to my forward crossbeam (boat is a catamaran) and use the spinnaker halyard to keep it suspended. At the stern, I really don't have any way to keep the ramp suspended (rat's?).

Have any of you Med moored by going bow forward? What would be the drawbacks? The one I can see is if a surge throws the boat forward, it's really going to crush the hull's. A positive would be that my cockpit would face out and be more private. Any opinions?

daddle · 31-07-2011, 18:35

Do you have a stern anchor that is easy to deploy?

Boat name on the bow, or ramp?

Palarran · 31-07-2011, 18:43

Not yet but I will before I leave the Caribbean. It will most likely be a Fortress and I can run it to my winch to increase the tension.

The boat name is on both the bow and stern.

daddle · 31-07-2011, 18:48

It can be a little more difficult to protect the bows with fenders. And somewhat more difficult to judge the distance. Mooring bow-in is a little anti-social. Otherwise I think you are good to go.

Palarran · 31-07-2011, 18:57

Thanks Daddle, how would you go about protecting the bow's with fenders?

My ramp is quite long. I would be able to stay about 8 to 10 feet off a pier if done at the bow, and 4 - 5 feet from the stern.

osirissail · 31-07-2011, 19:26

Bow-in Med-moor is not uncommon and is preferred on boats with an aft mounted spade rudder and catamarans. It is common that the area underwater by the quay/pier/seawall is comprised of boulders and other large hard objects that can take a good chunk out of your rudder.
- - The bow hull form of a boat gently slopes down until you get quite a distance from the from bow.
- - If you look at European mono-hulls you will typically see that their bow pulpits/railings are open/split to allow folks to exit/enter the boat over the bow.
- - The use of chains, springs and lines keep the boat from getting too close to the quay/pier/seawall. Of course, Med Moor requires an buoy line or anchor set out from the "other end" of the boat to also hold the boat off the wall.

Palarran · 31-07-2011, 19:55

Here is a picture of a set up that I modeled my gangway from. It's set for the bow.

The reason for me asking is that I need to finish the project and had started thinking about suspending the gangway. It would be a real pain to use my topping lift for a stern mount.

Pelagic · 31-07-2011, 20:26

As Orissail said, not uncommon and has many advantages, especially the privacy part.

I like your setup from the bow and would do the same.

The only downside (which is minor) is that you will probably need a longer shore power cable

Provided you have good stern mooring, there are no draw backs.

If a surge came thru to force you onto the pier, you are hitting it with your collision end from a further distance.

Just make sure you relieve the load off your sailing winches, once moored

nigelmercier · 31-07-2011, 22:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by osirissail

Bow-in Med-moor is not uncommon and is preferred on boats with an aft mounted spade rudder and catamarans...

... and SunSail charter boats

hoppy · 31-07-2011, 23:38

If you see a yacht moored bow first in the med there is at least a 50% chance it is a Swedish yacht.

I should say that Swedes do it this way because that's how they moor back in Sweden so their boats are equipped suitably for mooring that way.

athene · 01-08-2011, 01:49

Just one additional thought to consider: on most boats, the bow anchor, chain and windlass arrangement is much more substantial than anything it is possible to rig from the stern. When you're Med-moored using your anchor, it's blowing at 35-40 knots across your bow and there's a risk of dragging, it's comforting to know that you're secured with the strongest possible anchoring gear and that you can take in chain on your windlass if you need to. We've seen several yachts moored bows-to really struggling to take in scope on their stern anchor once the blow started.

**James S** · 01-08-2011, 06:51

You'll have waaaay more privacy in the cockpit if bow to.

stillbuilding · 01-08-2011, 07:28

Of course if you have a canoe stern with a kedge windlass no one will notice the difference either way.

osirissail · 01-08-2011, 07:29

Here are some Google Earth photos of Mediterranean Marinas along the Spanish to Italian coast. Note that in one photo there are a lot of catamarans and they are all bow to the wall. In the other photos is seems that large and other power yachts always go stern to while sailboats seem to be evenly split between bow to or stern to.